Distribution of pulverulent material from aircraft



Patented Oct.i22, i929 UNITED; STATES Huso a'oNxnas, or DESSAU, GERMANY DISTRIBUTION F PULVERULENT MATERIAL FROM AIRCRAFT Application filed October 5, 1925, Serial No. 60,693, and in Germany July 3, 1925.

pg distribution can be edected in an easier and more perfect manner than has hitherto been possible.

llp till now the distribution of insecticides, germicides and the like from aerial craft has been practised either by emptying a receptacle. containing the pulverulent masses' over the sides of themachine, the distribution of the material being left to the propeller Wind. or else a certain automization and distribution Was effected, partly by the action of the propeller vrind and partly by the static pressure acting on the material in the receptacle. Both these methods involve certain drawbacks.. lf the receptacle is merely `emptied over the side of the craft, no uniform dism tribution' can be obtained, the greater part of the material clogging together and dropping on the ground in lumps. lf the material is first acted upon by the static pressure introduced into the receptacle and is then distributed by the propeller Wind, the materialv is subdivided so finely that it has become necessary for the craft to travel at very lovi7 alti# tudes, whereby the craft is endangered and the distribution can only be effected on even ground. A further drawback 4vvhich adheres to this method is occasioned by the moisture contained in the air which, when the material is atomized b static pressure, favors the` clogging toget er of the material owing to the' fact that most substances used for this purpose are highly hydroscopic.

According to the present invention I obviate these drawbacks by roviding the aerial craft with means where y the `material in question is atomized mechanically and preferably in dependency upon the traveling speed of thec'raft, the propeller Wind beingl utilized for distributing the material thus atomized.

By proceeding in this manner, itis possible to transfer the material from the receptacle to a point Where the pro eller Wind and gravity can act upon it for distribution 1n a sulficient state of subdivision. On the other hand adjusted in correspondence with the particular purpose `and material.

Preferably the device for practising the novel method comprises tvvo main parte, viz

v.a receptacle, preferably mounted in the hull or body of the flying machine or in the cabin of an airship, and an atomizing and distributing device.

l am thus enabled, when employing a different type of flying machine, to merely ex change the receptacle, While, if a different kind of material shall be distributed, merely Vthe atomizing devicejneed be exchanged.

In the drawings affixed to this specification and forming part thereof a flying machine embodying my invention is illustrated diagrammatially by Way of example;

Fig. 1 being a side' elevation of this machine, While Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the distributingdevice proper drawn to a larger scale.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section drawn to a smaller scale on the line III- III in Fig. 2.

Referring first to Fig. 1, 1 is the hull or body of the flying machine and 3 is the receptacle containing the material and which is mounted in the hull or body, an opening 4 provided With a suitable cover serving for filling the receptacle. To the funnel-shaped bottom of the receptacle 3 is' connected the conduit 6 leading to the distributing device proper, this conduit extending in oblique direction.

In order to detach from the inner Wallsof the receptacle such material as may adhere to it, special means (agtators, cords or the i like) arranged to be operated from the pilots seat 8 can be provided the quantity of material distributed per unit of area can be. varied by means of a spindle 9 mounted in front of the pilots seat. and which by' means of an intermediate shaft 22 and bevel gearing- 23 acts on the distributing device proper illustrated more particularly in F ig. 2, This device comtit i oblique conduit 6 and the rotor 14 loosely.

mounted for free rotation on a rod 12 extending in vertical direction across the conduit 6 and projecting from the upper side thereof. Cup-shaped blades 13 are mounted on the circumference of the wind driven rotor 14 which has the form of a doublecone, the top partof which is set with radial ledges 15 projecting into the extension 10. During each revolution of the rotor the ledges 15 carry along with them a predetermined quantity of the pulverulent material and force it v through the gap between the bottom edge of the extension 10 and the circumferential top edge .of the rotor 14. In order to adjust the width ofthe gap the rotor 14 can be lifted and lowered respectively by means of the bevel-wheel governed by the spindle 9 and shaft 22, the hub 24 of this bevel-wheel having the form of a nut acting on the threaded top end 21 ofthe rod 12, which is secured against rotation at 16. By lifting or lowering the rod and the rotor tle width of the distributing gap is varied. At-the lower edge of the extension 10 is mounted a ring 17 which projects into an annular notch of a ring 18 mounted on the peripheral portion of the rotor 14, this ring serving for properly dening the gap and if necessary for braking the rotor.

I wish 'it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to .the exact details of construction shown and described for obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

I claim 1. In a ying machine, a receptacle for pulverulent material, a tubular conduit extending from said receptacle downwards, an air-impelled rotary distributor at the lower end of said conduit and mean's for adjusting the position of said distributor relative to said conduit. i

2. In a flying machine, a receptacle for pulverulent material, a tubular conduit extending from said receptacle downwar-, an air-impelled rotary distributor at the lower end of said conduit, means on said distributor and extending into said conduit for carrying along predetremined quantities of the Inaterial in said conduit, and means for adjusting the position of said distributor relative to said conduit.

3. In a flying machine, a receptacle for pulverulent material, a tubular conduit extending from said receptacle downwards, an air-impelled rotary distributor at the lower end of said conduit and means operable from a. distance for adjusting the position of said distributor relative to said conduit.

4. In a flying machine, a fuselage, a receptacle for pulverulent material supported by said fuselage, a pilots seat in said fuselage, a tubular conduit extending from said 

